Cork Airport is dishing up a new food court as part of a major upgrade of its food and beverage outlets.

The new food court, set to open this May, is part of a €4 million spend on a series of projects throughout the airport - its largest investment in over 10 years.

The Food Court - dubbed 'Food Republic' in artists' impressions supplied to Independent.ie Travel (above, below) - will be located airside in the Departures area. It will replace the existing restaurant, located landside.

Also on the way are a new landside Kinsale Café and Bar, which opens this month in the Arrivals Hall (replacing Cork Coffee Roasters) and Craft Lane, a new bistro bar replacing The Last Call, which is set to open in Departures next month.

The new additions follow the opening of AMT Coffee, which has already begun trading after replacing Lir Café in the Departures Hall.

Both the Food Court and Kinsale Café Bar will be operated by Aramark, while Craft Lane will be operated by KSG Group, the airport has confirmed.

An artist's impression of the new food court coming to Cork Airport

"We have been working closely with the team at Cork Airport and local food producers to develop a menu that showcases what makes Cork the gourmet capital of Ireland," said Frank Gleeson, MD of Aramark Northern Europe.

"There is a real positive reinforcement of locally produced food and drink," added Brendan Dee of Aer Rianta International (ARI), which manages the retail and food and beverage businesses at Dublin and Cork Airports.

Specific concessions, menus or suppliers have yet to be announced.

The €4 million investment also includes a fifth passenger security screening channel, set to open before summer, and a new fire training facility.

Cork Airport has been enjoying a run of good news in recent times, with passenger numbers up 6pc in January, and a host of new route announcements including direct flights to Reykjavik with WOW air, set to commence this May.

Details are also imminent on Norwegian's proposed transatlantic routes, which Cork Airport Managing Director Niall MacCarthy has previously said could start this July with "lead-in special offers around the $69 mark."

Over 2.3 million passengers will travel through the airport this year.